Since being elected president of the Philippines in May 2016 in a resounding win at the polls, Rodrigo Duterte has cared little for the letter of his nation’s judicial process embarking on a policy of extrajudicial killings of those suspected of being involved in the illegal narcotics trade.
The president has sanctioned his police and security officials to use fatal force against those who supply and push drugs at street level, leading to international criticism, domestic concerns and fears that the actions of the police are simply vigilantism at a state-sponsored level. Duterte was elected to deal with the narcotics issue, and he remains very popular with a large section of his people, regardless of the international criticism brought to bear on his office. His actions in dealing with the drugs trade continue to win him overall support, and the critics who oppose him are drowned out by his popularity.
But there are those who believe that Duterte is acting above the law, and late on Friday on state television, he responded to his critics, warning he is prepared to establish a “revolutionary government” to fend off alleged efforts to oust him from office. In the same address, he railed against the press, European lawmakers and others who criticise his policy of extrajudicial killings of narcotics suspects. He is determined to bring strong action to the nation to ensure its stability, and if that means ignoring the criticism of the international community, the press and human rights’ groups to do that, it’s a price that Duterte is willing to pay. And he does enjoy popular support for his actions — for now.
